Documentary – In her village Hulaliu on the island of Haruku near Ambon, Augustina Noija-Laisina – called Grandma Au – learned the song ‘Lau Kopot o’. In it, the ancestors are called to send fireflies to light the way in the dark. This also means the call for ‘enlightenment’ in difficult times. When Grandma Au came to the Netherlands at a young age, she passed the song on to her children and grandchildren to transfer the culture of her native village to future generations. Her granddaughter Mala Noija tells what ‘Lau Kopot o’ means to her and what her grandmother used to tell her.

This documentary was part of the Mahina cultural project. Screened at various locations during the traveling exhibition (2016 – 2021) in the Netherlands. Made by Teru Artist Collective: Jaïr Pattipeilohy, Lesli Taihuttu and Atêf Sitanala.

– The song is in the Haruku language. Interview Ambonese Malay and Dutch spoken / Dutch subtitles.

Side note: This film is used as part of an assignment in the ‘Introduction to Anthropology’ module (published by Seneca Burgerschap) for Social Sciences (Maatschappijwetenschappen) in pre-university education in the Netherlands.

Copyright [c] 2014 Teru